the golden bough-第73章

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deceased　and　be　carried　off　by　it；　hence　in　the　Aru　Islands　the　inmates　of　a　house　will　not　sleep　the　night　after　a　death　has　taken　place　in　it；　because　the　soul　of　the　deceased　is　supposed　to　be　still　in　the　house　and　they　fear　to　meet　it　in　a　dream。　Again；　the　soul　of　the　sleeper　may　be　prevented　by　an　accident　or　by　physical　force　from　returning　to　his　body。　When　a　Dyak　dreams　of　falling　into　the　water；　he　supposes　that　this　accident　has　really　befallen　his　spirit；　and　he　sends　for　a　wizard；　who　fishes　for　the　spirit　with　a　hand…net　in　a　basin　of　water　till　he　catches　it　and　restores　it　to　its　owner。　The　Santals　tell　how　a　man　fell　asleep；　and　growing　very　thirsty；　his　soul；　in　the　form　of　a　lizard；　left　his　body　and　entered　a　pitcher　of　water　to　drink。　Just　then　the　owner　of　the　pitcher　happened　to　cover　it；　so　the　soul　could　not　return　to　the　body　and　the　man　died。　While　his　friends　were　preparing　to　burn　the　body　some　one　uncovered　the　pitcher　to　get　water。　The　lizard　thus　escaped　and　returned　to　the　body；　which　immediately　revived；　so　the　man　rose　up　and　asked　his　friends　why　they　were　weeping。　They　told　him　they　thought　he　was　dead　and　were　about　to　burn　his　body。　He　said　he　had　been　down　a　well　to　get　water；　but　had　found　it　hard　to　get　out　and　had　just　returned。　So　they　saw　it　all。

It　is　a　common　rule　with　primitive　people　not　to　waken　a　sleeper；　because　his　soul　is　away　and　might　not　have　time　to　get　back；　so　if　the　man　wakened　without　his　soul；　he　would　fall　sick。　If　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　rouse　a　sleeper；　it　must　be　done　very　gradually；　to　allow　the　soul　time　to　return。　A　Fijian　in　Matuku；　suddenly　wakened　from　a　nap　by　somebody　treading　on　his　foot；　has　been　heard　bawling　after　his　soul　and　imploring　it　to　return。　He　had　just　been　dreaming　that　he　was　far　away　in　Tonga；　and　great　was　his　alarm　on　suddenly　wakening　to　find　his　body　in　Matuku。　Death　stared　him　in　the　face　unless　his　soul　could　be　induced　to　speed　at　once　across　the　sea　and　reanimate　its　deserted　tenement。　The　man　would　probably　have　died　of　fright　if　a　missionary　had　not　been　at　hand　to　allay　his　terror。

Still　more　dangerous　is　it　in　the　opinion　of　primitive　man　to　move　a　sleeper　or　alter　his　appearance；　for　if　this　were　done　the　soul　on　its　return　might　not　be　able　to　find　or　recognise　its　body；　and　so　the　person　would　die。　The　Minangkabauers　deem　it　highly　improper　to　blacken　or　dirty　the　face　of　a　sleeper；　lest　the　absent　soul　should　shrink　from　re…entering　a　body　thus　disfigured。　Patani　Malays　fancy　that　if　a　person's　face　be　painted　while　he　sleeps；　the　soul　which　has　gone　out　of　him　will　not　recognise　him；　and　he　will　sleep　on　till　his　face　is　washed。　In　Bombay　it　is　thought　equivalent　to　murder　to　change　the　aspect　of　a　sleeper；　as　by　painting　his　face　in　fantastic　colours　or　giving　moustaches　to　a　sleeping　woman。　For　when　the　soul　returns　it　will　not　know　its　own　body；　and　the　person　will　die。

But　in　order　that　a　man's　soul　should　quit　his　body；　it　is　not　necessary　that　he　should　be　asleep。　It　may　quit　him　in　his　waking　hours；　and　then　sickness；　insanity；　or　death　will　be　the　result。　Thus　a　man　of　the　Wurunjeri　tribe　in　Australia　lay　at　his　last　gasp　because　his　spirit　had　departed　from　him。　A　medicine…man　went　in　pursuit　and　caught　the　spirit　by　the　middle　just　as　it　was　about　to　plunge　into　the　sunset　glow；　which　is　the　light　cast　by　the　souls　of　the　dead　as　they　pass　in　and　out　of　the　under…world；　where　the　sun　goes　to　rest。　Having　captured　the　vagrant　spirit；　the　doctor　brought　it　back　under　his　opossum　rug；　laid　himself　down　on　the　dying　man；　and　put　the　soul　back　into　him；　so　that　after　a　time　he　revived。　The　Karens　of　Burma　are　perpetually　anxious　about　their　souls；　lest　these　should　go　roving　from　their　bodies；　leaving　the　owners　to　die。　When　a　man　has　reason　to　fear　that　his　soul　is　about　to　take　this　fatal　step；　a　ceremony　is　performed　to　retain　or　recall　it；　in　which　the　whole　family　must　take　part。　A　meal　is　prepared　consisting　of　a　cock　and　hen；　a　special　kind　of　rice；　and　a　bunch　of　bananas。　Then　the　head　of　the　family　takes　the　bowl　which　is　used　to　skim　rice；　and　knocking　with　it　thrice　on　the　top　of　the　houseladder　says：　Prrrroo！　Come　back；　soul；　do　not　tarry　outside！　If　it　rains；　you　will　be　wet。　If　the　sun　shines；　you　will　be　hot。　The　gnats　will　sting　you；　the　leeches　will　bite　you；　the　tigers　will　devour　you；　the　thunder　will　crush　you。　Prrrroo！　Come　back；　soul！　Here　it　will　be　well　with　you。　You　shall　want　for　nothing。　Come　and　eat　under　shelter　from　the　wind　and　the　storm。　After　that　the　family　partakes　of　the　meal；　and　the　ceremony　ends　with　everybody　tying　their　right　wrist　with　a　string　which　has　been　charmed　by　a　sorcerer。　Similarly　the　Lolos　of　South…western　China　believe　that　the　soul　leaves　the　body　in　chronic　illness。　In　that　case　they　read　a　sort　of　elaborate　litany；　calling　on　the　soul　by　name　and　beseeching　it　to　return　from　the　hills；　the　vales；　the　rivers；　the　forests；　the　fields；　or　from　wherever　it　may　be　straying。　At　the　same　time　cups　of　water；　wine；　and　rice　are　set　at　the　door　for　the　refreshment　of　the　weary　wandering　spirit。　When　the　ceremony　is　over；　they　tie　a　red　cord　round　the　arm　of　the　sick　man　to　tether　the　soul；　and　this　cord　is　worn　by　him　until　it　decays　and　drops　off。

Some　of　the　Congo　tribes　believe　that　when　a　man　is　ill；　his　soul　has　left　his　body　and　is　wandering　at　large。　The　aid　of　the　sorcerer　is　then　called　in　to　capture　the　vagrant　spirit　and　restore　it　to　the　invalid。　Generally　the　physician　declares　that　he　has　successfully　chased　the　soul　into　the　branch　of　a　tree。　The　whole　town　thereupon　turns　out　and　accompanies　the　doctor　to　the　tree；　where　the　strongest　men　are　deputed　to　break　off　the　branch　in　which　the　soul　of　the　sick　man　is　supposed　to　be　lodged。　This　they　do　and　carry　the　branch　back　to　the　town；　insinuating　by　their　gestures　that　the　burden　is　heavy　and　hard　to　bear。　When　the　branch　has　been　brought　to　the　sick　man's　hut；　he　is　placed　in　an　upright　position　by　its　side；　and　the　sorcerer　performs　the　enchantments　by　which　the　soul　is　believed　to　be　restored　to　its　owner。

Pining；　sickness；　great　fright；　and　death　are　ascribed　by　the　Bataks　of　Sumatra　to　the　absence　of　the　soul　from　the　body。　At　first　they　try　to　beckon　the　wanderer　back；　and　to　lure　him；　like　a　fowl；　by　strewing　rice。　Then　the　following　form　of　words　is　commonly　repeated：　Come　back；　O　soul；　whether　thou　art　lingering　in　the　wood；　or　on　the　hills；　or　in　the　dale。　See；　I　call　thee　with　a　toemba　bras；　with　an　egg　of　the　fowl　Rajah　moelija；　with　the　eleven　healing　leaves。　Detain　it　not；　let　it　come　straight　here；　detain　it　not；　neither　in　the　wood；　nor　on　the　hill；　nor　in　the　dale。　That　may　not　be。　O　come　straight　home！　Once　when　a　popular　traveller　was　leaving　a　Kayan　village；　the　mothers；　fearing　that　their　children's　souls　might　follow　him　on　his　journey；　brought　him　the　boards　on　which　they　carry　their　infants　and　begged　him　to　pray　that　the　souls　of　the　little　ones　would　return　to　the　familiar　boards　and　not　go　away　with　him　into　the　far　country。　To　each　board　was　fastened　a　looped　string　for　the　purpose　of　tethering　the　vagrant　spirits；　and　through　the　loop　each　baby　was　made　to　pass　a　chubby　finger　to　make　sure　that　its　tiny　soul　would　not　wander　away。

In　an　Indian　story　a　king　conveys　his　soul　into　the　dead　body　of　a　Brahman；　and　a　hunchback　conveys　his　soul　into　the　deserted　body　of　the　king。　The　hunchback　is　now　king　and　the　king　is　a　Brahman。　However；　the　hunchback　is　induced　to　show　his　skill　by　transferring　his　soul　to　the　dead　body　of　a　parrot；　and　the　king　seizes　the　opportunity　to　regain　possession　of　his　own　body。　A　tale　of　the　same　type；　with　variations　of　detail；　reappears　among　the　Malays。　A　king　has　incautiously　transferred　his　soul　to　an　ape；　upon　which　the　vizier　adroitly　inserts　his　own　soul　into　the　king's　body　and　so　takes　possession　of　the　queen　and　the　kingdom；　while　the　true　king　languishes　at　court　in　the　outward　semblance　of　an　ape。　But　one　day　the　false　king；　who　played　for　high　stakes；　was　watching　a　combat　of　rams；　and　it　happened　that　the　animal　on　which　he　had　laid　his　money　fell　down　dead。　All　efforts　to　restore　animation　proved　unavailing　till　the　f